The House of Guerlain was founded in 1828, when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store in Paris.

The success of the house under Pierre-François peaked in 1853 with the creation of Eau de Cologne Impériale. This perfume earned Pierre-François the prestigious title of being His Majesty's Official Perfumer (France), which lead him to create perfumes for Queen Victoria of England and Queen Isabella of Spain, among other royalty.